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Tankathlon
Tankathlon is the fictional martial arts of the spin-off manga Girls Und Panzer: Ribbon Warrior (ガールズ&パンツァー リボンの武者, Girls Und Panzer: Ribbon no Musha). Background Tankathlon is an unofficial form of martial arts, like senshado it uses tanks as weapons, however it lacks Japan Senshado Federation's (JSF) regulations and''' approval rules, traditionalism and values of it, which makes it marginalized among senshado practitioners and seniors. It involves two opposing teams, each possessing their own set of tanks, combating in Flag Battle matches, the only type of match known for now. Many school carriers senshado teams are adopting tankathlon for various reasons, which are: lack of a big arsenal, practicing matches, different in-battle challenges, interest in this type of setting. Rules As tankathlon is unconsidered by the JSF, it has its Tankathlon Committee, they are responsible to set the opponents, the matches' date, place and any other matter involving the event, however, unlike JSF they will not cover the costs for repairing the damages caused to structures or viewers and others conditions included in Senshado Competition Regulations. For now, there is only one known rule, where the tanks' weight must be below 10 tons, limiting the battle for light tanks and tankettes only. The lack of rules allows the matches to unofficially happen anywhere, both in rural settings, where viewers can stay in the middle of the battlefield watching if they want and in urban areas, where the citizens/viewers are in the middle of the match. It is the total responsibility of the viewers to ensure their own safety against being hit by a tank or shells. Tank Shops Tank shops only sell products sanctioned by the Senshado Federation, when Rin and Shizuka go to buy some equipment so they can upgrade the Type 97, Rin doesn't find anything related to tankathlon. However, Shizuka demands for the shop owner to provide tankathlon materials and supplements, he then leads them to the basement of the shop with a huge area dedicated to tankathlon. The shop owner also explains the JSF is being annoying regarding tankathlon materials lately, implying that the JSF heavily regulates the materials and equipment used in Sensha-do as a whole. It is unclear whether all tank shops have similar hidden stashes or limited to some particular shops. Teams These are the teams that currently practicing Tankathlon. While some schools use their real name other more prestigious school practicing under an alias for not compromise themselves in an unofficial sport: '''Anzio Girls High School: *Leader and Commander: Anchovy *Co-Commanders: Carpaccio & Pepperoni *Vehicles: Carro Veloce CV.33 (normal ones & some equipped with Solothurn AT Gun) Bonple High School: *Leader and Commander: Jajka *Co-Commander: Uszka *Vehicles: 7TPjw & TKS-NKM (with 20mm AT rifle) Centipede Team: *Affiliation: Tatenashi High School *Leader and Commander: Shizuka Tsuruki *Driver: Rin Matsukaze *Vehicles: Type 97 Te-Ke (Team composed of only one tank) Chi-Ha-Tan Academy: *Leader and Commander: Kinuyo Nishi *Co-Commander: Fukuda *Vehicles: Type 95 Ha-Go Chindits: *Affiliation: St. Gloriana Girls College: *Leader and Commander: Orange Pekoe *Co-commander: Rosehip *Vehicles: Light Tank Mk.VII Tetrarch Duck Team: *Affiliation: Ooarai Girls Academy *Leader: Possibly Miho Nishizumi (doesn't participate in the matches) *Commander: Noriko Isobe *Vehicles: Type 89B I-Go Otsu (without rear sledge to match 10 tons rule) Fifth Republic Platoon: *Affiliation: BC Freedom High School: *Leader and Commander: Asparagus *Co-commander: Moules (Freedom Side) & Bordeaux (BC Side) *Vehicles: Renault R35, Renault AMR35 (ZT-1 & ZT-2 variants) & M22 Locust Flying Tankers Volunteer Group: *Affiliation: Saunders University High School *Leader: Kay (doesn't participate in the matches) *Commander: Alisa *Vehicles: M22 Locust (lent by BC Freedom), T7 Combat Car *Aircraft: B-29 Stratofortress (Used to carry Hamilcar gliders), General Aircraft Halmicar (Gliders to carry the tanks), Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey. Gregor High School: *Leader: Unknown *Commander: Unknown *Vehicles: Lt vz.38 Guy Fawkes Team: *Affiliation: St. Gloriana Girls College: *Leader and Commander: Darjeeling (Anonymously disguised as Guy Fawkes) *Gunner: Assam *Vehicles: Light Tank Mk.VIII Harry Hopkins (Team composed of only one tank) Katyusha's Volunteer Army: *Affiliation: Pravda Girls High School *Leader and Commander: Nina *Co-commander: Alina *Vehicles: T-70 and T-60 Kebab High School: *Leader and Commander: Bosphorus *Vehicles: Renault R35 Maginot Girls' Academy: *Leader and Commander: Eclair *Vehicles: FT-17 Maple High School: *Leader and Commander: Trout *Vehicles: Light Tank Mk.VIB Nibelungen Team: *Affiliation: Kuromorimine Girls Academy *Leader and Commander: Maho Nishizumi (Anonymously disguised as Zorori) *Vehicles: Pz.Kpfw II Ausf.F (Team composed of only one tank) Polite Girls: *Affiliation: Pravda Girls High School *Leader and Commander: Katyusha (Anonymously disguised) *Co-commander: Nonna & Klara (Anonymously disguised) *Vehicles: T-70 Schwarzwald Kampfgruppe: *Affiliation: Kuromorimine Girls Academy *Leader and Commander: Erika Itsumi *Co-commander: Koume Akaboshi *Vehicles: Pz.Kpfw II Ausf.F Tategoto High School: *Leader and Commander: Aung *Vehicles: Type 95 Ha-Go Viggen High School: *Leader & Commander: Selma *Vehicles: Stridsvagn m/40 West Kureoji Grona High School: *Leader and Commander: Kiri Shiratori *Vehicles: Light Tank Mk.VII Tetrarch (with Little John Adaptator) The Cauldron One day, many girls with passion for sensha-dó from many schools were encouraged to visit a tankathlon event, called "Cauldron", devised by Darjeeling during party after the match between Schwarzwald Kampfgruppe and Team Centipede-BC Freedom Alliance ended. There were 20 different teams participating in total (see "Teams" section of this article for full list) placed in brackets to make ten 1st round matches in the same area. All the teams were presented via beginning ceremony, moderated by the member of Oarai broadcasting club Taiga Ou. Numerous clubs were doing their best to raise money to cover the costs, for example by organizing bets. The rules in this tournament were simply to follow the tankathlon rule of not using a tank heavier than 10 tons. There were several other additional rules that were different in each round. Round 1 For the 1st round there are 3 additional rules to make the tournament interesting: * 1) Each match has its own victory condition * 2) Both competing teams may call for a reinforcement in form of one vehicle from other teams (Yojimbo rule) ** The reinforcement is not obliged to follow commands, making betrayals or any other form of twisting the situation possible * 3) The losing team will fight under the command of the winner in the next round, making the finals a huge battle of all the participating teams. Match no.1: Flying Tankers Volunteer Group vs. Centipede Team * Condition: 1 vs 1 flag battle * Winner: Centipede Team After both combatants met each other in the rough terrain, their respective Yojimbos joined the battle. Alisa's reinforcement, Naomi in another T7 Combat Car, came first followed by Shizuka Tsuruki's choice, Kay. Both parties aimed their cannons on each other, but Kay suddenly aimed at Centipede's tank as she was not obliged to follow her commands. This betrayal got punished, because Centipede team disabled the enemy's flag tank right away, while it itself was eliminated as well, but the video record proved that Arisa's tank was hit first, thus the Centipede team was declared a victor. Match no.2: Chindits vs. Bonple High School * Condition: 3 vs 3 annihilation match * Winner: Bonple High School The match between Chindits (total newbies in tankathlon) and Bonple (commander Jajka is a "Tankathlon queen") took place in the fields divided by a small forest. Chindits, made of 1st years of St. Gloriana, refused Darjeeling to be their Yojimbo and fought valiantly. In the first stage of battle they managed to halt Bonple's advance and Rukuriri, their Yojimbo, made her fast ambush from behind. But Rukuriri could only see two Bonple cannons aiming at her tank, immobilizing it. Skilled Bonple girls anticipated such a trap, moreover Chindits misunderstood the Yojimbo rule. Jajka then called to charge the enemy head-on and swiftly eliminated another Chindits tank. Rosehip attempted to make things even by the use of her speed, but she failed and was eliminated quickly too. Just before Orange Pekoe could ask the crew of her remaining tank to change position, she too was eliminated by a direct shot. After the match Jajka told Orange Pekoe to gain more experience in the battles ahead in order to become useful, in which Orange Pekoe comply. Chindits' horrible performance was quite a disappointment to the spectators who refused to believe they were from St. Gloriana. Match no.3: Tategoto High School vs Nibelungen Team (Nishizumi Mask) * Condition: 5 vs 1 king of the hill (annihilation) match * Winner: Nibelungen Team The match took place in the nearby spa town of Nozawa-onsen with Nibelungen's tank being the sole defender of the town. Just before the match, Nibelungen team renamed itself as Nishizumi Mask team, making people speculate whether the commander is truly Maho Nishizumi. Tategoto girls made their moves to downtown and sent several machinegunners as scouts on the roofs of town's buildings to scout for Nishizumi's Panzer II but everyone failed to see it. A sudden shot from behind eliminated one Tategoto tank which revealed Nishizumi's position. All four remaining tanks made their way through three streets to encircle the enemy, but it vanished again thank to tall buildings. Nishizumi Mask made a surprise comeback in a well arranged crossway in the end of the the right street where the Panzer II eliminated two other tanks. Next tank was destroyed through the narrow space between two buildings and Aung's tank was shot from behind afterwards. Aung regretted she had never seen the enemy in the battle. Thus Nibelungen (Nishizumi Mask) emerged victorious. Match no.4: Schwarzwald Kampfgruppe vs Duck Team * Condition: 3 vs 1 arrival battle match * Winner: Schwarzwald Kampfgruppe The match took place in a big city of Jōetsu in Niigata prefecture with Duck Team's objective to reach the beach. Kampfgruppe had to either destroy them or to corner them. Before the match Erika tried to secure Maho as her Yojimbo, but instead Koume Akaboshi asked the Centipede team. Shizuka just proposed her to give a fake Viggen school pamphlet about beach volleyball tournament to the enemy in order to manipulate the agile and effective, but quite dumb Duck team in taking the shortest possible route. While Erika was trying to thing how to block a 10 km long line with just three tanks, Duck Team was eliminated quite quickly by a hidden Centipede team without Erika even noticing them as their Yojimbo and upon arrival in the proposed kill zone she was quite surprised the match was already over. Duck Team even didn't mind losing the match as they looked forward to play volleyball from other schools (including Akaboshi) present at the beach. Match no.5: Chi-Ha-Tan Academy vs Maple High School * Condition: 4 vs 4 annihilation match * Winner: Chi-Ha-Tan Academy Before the match, Fukuda proposed Duck-dono team should be their Yojimbo, but they were still playing volleyball in Jōetsu. Nishi then saw Mika and her crew from Jatkosota school and begged them to be their Yojimbo instead, to which Mika eventually agreed after giving them lots of rice and one extra Ha-Go. The match took place in the center of Uozu city. While Chi-Ha-Tan was waiting to make an ambush and Jatkosota girls were eating apples in the garden with a local citizen, Maple was making their move and called their Yojimbo, local fishermen who lent them their ship to avoid the streets or hills. Maple girls then made their way in the enemy's rear, but Fukuda anticipated something fishy long before and left Nishi's formation. Fukuda then ambushed Maple line of tanks, eliminating one and then called for the rest of Chi-Ha-Tan tanks which quickly came, and thank to the chaos, eliminated the rest of Maple school's light tanks Mk VI without losing any of their own tank. That was possible because Jatkosota girls then climbed on the roof of a tall building and provided Fukuda with intel. Both teams received thanks from spectators after the match. As usual, Jatkosota "borrowed" one Type 95 light tank and left the site. Match no.6: Polite Girls vs Fifth Republic Platoon * Condition: 3 vs 3 annihilation match * Winner: Polite Girls The match took place during the same time of the 5th match, but it was located in the official Japanese Sensha-do Federation's Northern Practice Field. Fifth Republic Platoon was utterly crushed by Katyusha. Asparagus who had resigned from the post of a commander to become the Cauldron staff regretted that Pravda girls really had much better combat skills, but she determined that the BC Freedom High School must become united and look into the future. After the match Katyusha told Nonna that BC Freedom is so weak they will hinder her in the next round. This match also shown that BC Freedom create a new uniform for the newly unified team that will be used by them in fighting Ooarai in das Finale. Match no.7: Anzio High School vs Katyusha's Volunteer Army * Condition: 5? vs 5? annihilation match * Winner: Anzio Girls High School The match took place in the village of Makkari in Hokkaido. Both teams chose Hippo Team as their Yojimbo. Erwin and Saemonza allied with Katyusha's Volunteer Army, Caesar and Oryou with Anzio girls. Nina tried to lead the enemy around by nose in the even and foresty terrain to quietly slip behind their lines, but she suddenly stopped due to her sixth sense. She saw a "ghost" looking like Nonna. This was in fact Anzio's Operation Macaroni v2.5. Two Anzio tanks lead by Pepperoni and Oryou then shot at one of Nina's tanks, eliminating it. Next distraction came with a drone that startled Alina, but Saemonza quickly disposed of it. After this the Volunteer Army made a move against the enemy, but Caesar with Carpaccio stopped them with a Katyusha doll hanging on a pole, as the Operation Macaroni 3. Nina and Alina were instructed not to fall for something like that by Katyusha and eliminated Caesar's tank. Unbeknownst to them, in order to do so they entered Anzio's kill and were quickly annihilated by concentrated fire. During all this time Anzio was slowly encircling the entire Katyusha's Volunteer Army using their Yojimbo as a provocation. Nina and Alina came to knee before Katyusha and begged her not to send them to Siberia. She, surprisingly, only ordered them to continuously learn from next matches. Match no.8: Maginot Girls' Academy vs Viggen High School * Condition: ? vs ? annihilation match * Winner: Maginot Girls' Academy The match took place on Sado Island, Niigata prefecture. Only the ending moments of the battle in the Kitazawa Flotation Plant are seen, where two Strv m/40s are shown being eliminated by Eclair. As she was totally unaware of the Yojimbo rule, she fought all tanks of Viggen without a backup just with her FT-17s alone. She got her usual stomachaches after leaning that she could have had a backup. This was also the first time Eclair's new doctrine of "Saint-Cyr style" mobile warfare brought the desired results. Match no.9: Guy Fawkes Team vs Kebab High School * Condition: 1 vs 3 annihilation match * Winner: Guy Fawkes Team The match between "black tea" and "black coffee" started in a place called Sado mine, with Guy Fawkes led by Darjeeling from the town center and Kebab girls led by somewhat overconfident Bosphorus from the coast. Bosphorus lead her Renault R35 into the city where they were all slaughtered by Darjeeling's sole Light Tank Mk VIII from higher ground. Bosphorus was surprised by her opponent's fast moves but gladly accepted Darjeeling's offer to drink black tea together after the battle. Match no.10: West Kureoji Grona High School vs Gregor High School * Condition: 2? vs 2? annihilation match * Winner: West Kureoji Grona High School Nothing significant is shown in this battle except the commander Kiri Shiratori that have her spirit higher after Darjeeling, her idol, gives her a thumb up and dedicate this victory to Darjeeling-sama herself. Even though the West Kureoji Grona High School is somewhat copying the St. Gloriana school, they proved themselves to fight well against Gregor High School, taking out all their tanks. Their performance was improved by Darjeeling's responds to their commander. This is the last match of the first round. Round 2 For the 2nd round there are six rules, very different from the ones from the round 1. In the morning just before the beginning of the fight, each team opened the letter with official instructions. All the teams recieved their assigned colour, one of five. * 1) The teams with the same colours are allies * 2) The teams with different colours are enemies * 3) Victory depends on each team's destroyed tanks and the total number of surviving allied tanks * 4) If a team of the same colour is annihilated, the other team of the same colour is declared annihilated as well * 5) The match lasts for 24 hours * 6) A guest team labeled "Team ONI" will participate as unaffiliated team, the identity of the Team ONI is considered the surprise. The fighting teams were drawn as follows: * Red: Centipede Team (+Flying Tankers Volunteer Group) + Bonple High School (+Chindits) * Blue: Nibelungen Team (+Tategoto High School) + Schwarzwald Kampfgruppe (+Duck Team) * Yellow: Polite Girls (+Fifth Republic Platoon) + Chi-Ha-Tan Academy (+Maple High School) * Green: Anzio High School (+Katyusha's Volunteer Army) + Maginot Girls' Academy (+Viggen High School) * Pink: Guy Fawkes Team (+Kebab High School) + West Kureoji Grona High School (+Gregor High School) * Team ONI The fight is thus a six-way battle (4 vs 4 vs 4 vs 4 vs 4 vs 1?) The match started at 12 a.m. and during the 3 hours all the teams were buying their supplies of food and some tools to make themselves comfortable for the next 24 hours. Phase 1 All the teams went to their starting locations on the large battlefield. At first, the Red Team (starts in the northwest) did some recon with no enemy moves or attacks observed. Shizuka then proposed the teambuilding event: a tea ceremony. The members of other three groups of the team came up with three unrealistic plans but Shizuka wanted to get everyone to know each other first. And after that, she wanted to select the overall commander of the Red team. The Blue Team (starts in the central area) commanded by Erika and Maho was the first who actually made the first move. Erika Itsumi asked Maho to be the commander and said that should Maho fail, she herself would take the lead. Maho commanded Tategoto High School to serve as the vanguard along with her sole Nibelungen Team, while the 'Kampfgruppe' was supposed to attack as the main force and Duck Team served as a backup. Maho chose to attack Green Team first using a blitzkrieg tactics to confirm their real strength despite their numbers. The team opened fire upon the first chance. The Yellow Team (starts in the southwest) led by Katyusha and Kinuyo Nishi decided to simply move to the next area in a hope to capture the enemy supply. The Green Team (starts in the northeast) led by Anchovy and Éclair made an Anzio-style party first to get to know each other. After some time they spotted the Blue team's advance and Anchovy ordered her team to stop the party, build up the defenses and rapidly return the fire with her CV-33s, complaining about "How dare the Kuromorimine girls to interrupt other peoples' meal," but she gladly accepted the challenge. But soon after the start of the skirmish, Anchovy ordered her CV-33s to retreat to the golf field and asked Katyusha's Volunteer army and Viggen High School to hold position. The Maginot Academy tanks were to move around and challenge the Blue Team from the flanks. The Pink Team (starts in the southeast) led by Darjeeling decided to change the position as they were the furthest from everyone else. The Red Team remained the last one to move out. While drinking tea, the members calmed themselves down and Orange Pekoe asked Shizuka for her opinion about the ongoing battle. Shizuka was convinced the battle would be like fighting the warring states. She then looked sharply as she made up her plan. Phase 2 While advancing, Erika Itsumi carefully observed the Green Team's moves, discovered the Maginot's intentions and determined the Greens did not want to make rash attacks. Meanwhile the Yellow Team members like Katyusha, Nonna and Kinuyo Nishi borrowed some motorbikes from locals and did a quick recon. They discovered the neutral zone with the Gas station within the battlefield and Katyusha wanted to set traps around it for other teams. Inside the Gas station, they met the elderly ladies from the Tankathlon Supply Store, along with Ooarai's Leopon Team, who offered all team free toilets, repairing their tanks, even the immobilized ones to make them operational again, in the condition that each can only get fixed once. Should the already serviced tanks broken again, participants then must fixed them themselves. But before they took further action, they were interrupted by Darjeeling, who along with the rest of the Pink Team, came to the same place. Furthermore, members of the Fifth Republic's Platoon received the phone call from Shizuka who proposed a plan to weaken the Blue Team. Before that, Shizuka ended the Red Team's tea ceremony and correctly assumed the noises they heard were coming from the Blue vs. Green skirmish and decided to attack the Blue, mainly Maho Nishizumi's Panzer II to make her fulfill the promise to have a battle with her. Jajka understood her intention to make alliance with another team and the Reds finally decided to move. However, they were quickly discovered by Tategoto's commander, Aung who commanded her tanks to slowly retreat and return the Red's incoming fire. Erika discovered the opening in which she would be able to engage Anchovy, but her attempt was ended with the arrival of the Yellow Team which attacked the Blue Team from behind. Katyusha agreed to be a temporary ally with the Red Team but her real plan was to annihilate all the participating teams of the skirmish which turned out to be the battle one vs. one vs. two with the Blue Team being literally surrounded. Chi-Ha-Tan girls promptly started their infamous charge attack, only to make Katyusha angry. This unexpected change of situation made Anchovy to decide to attack the Blue Team as well. Maho Nishizumi evaluated her team's situation and made Aung the commander and Erika her vice-commander of the Blue Team whose job would've be to ensure successful retreat. Maho herself took the rear guard position and decided to attack the Centipede Team to fulfill her promise to give Shizuka a battle she wanted. Phase 3 Centipede finally defeat Team Nibelungen through back-stabbing shot from Jajka, who done it to save Centipede from being overran by Green Team who arrived to chase Blue Team. Though able to take their tanks to the repairing station in the middle of the field, Maho decided to stay there and let Erika to stand by herself without continuing to rely on her all the time. Meanwhile, as the sunset arrived, Red Team decided to take a break and resting, while sending Jajka and Orange Pekoe to scout the battlefield. In the other side of the field, Pink Team decided to move during the twilight and exchange shots with Yellow Team, in which neither of them willing to advance. During that time, Chi-Ha-Tan Team, who got their tanks fixed, come and about to charge before Katyusha stopped and reprimanded them not to make any futile charge anymore, slamming them with how stupid their tradition to just charge into enemy's shots, and that Chi-Ha-Tan girls is the reason why everyone in Yellow Team got worried. Orange Pekoe arrived at the scene where Blue Team and Green Team fighting fiercely, but as Aung-san and Tategoto about to get enveloped, Duck Team arrived and save them, saying that if Tategoto annihilated, then the whole team would be defeated as well. Koume remarks that due to less number of forces, Blue Team is in a very disadvantaged situation among all teams, but Green Team suddenly stopped their attack to rest and have dinner. Erika and Koume wanted to take advantage to this situation, but since all Blue Team also already tired and running out of ammunition, they have no choice but to retreat, resting, and resupply as well. Catching their breath for now, all teams prepared for a night battle under new moon, unbeknownst to them, Darjeeling is currently expecting the arrival of the elusive Team ONI. Phase 4 In the Blue Team encampment, Tategoto girls brought supplies to the Blue Team for their much needed rest. Erika confronts Aung-san about the next step since, by the elimination of Nishizumi Mask, Aung-san is now the commander of the Blue Team. Erika deducted that they have two options: Attack the Green Team or continue defending while wait for things to changed. However, bolstered by her new role, Aung-san quickly decided to pick up all the immobilize Blue Team members instead in order to survive the night, and take them to repair center, with Erika's approval. After analyzing the situation, Red Team finally decided to help Green Team eliminating Blue Team, since they only need to eliminate Tategoto tanks to defeat Blue Team once and for all. Jajka then radioed Anchovy that they come to help, so that Green Team won't shoot them. Unbeknownst to them, Duck Team sneaking behind Red Team's line under the cover of darkness, and once they got close to the Green Team, Duck Team launch the attack on Green Team from Red Team line, leading Anchovy to believed that Red Team has tricked them and sided with Blue Team instead. The remaining of the Blue Team take advantage of the chaotic situation to break through on Red Team line, under strict order not to fight them. Stunned by the sudden change, Shizuka recalled that she has pulled the exact same strategy against BC Freedom in past Tankathlon match, and saluting Erika as her worthy opponents. In the other place, Yellow Team and Pink Team are continuing the skirmish. However, with Katyusha able to restrain Chi-Ha-Tan's natural urges to charge (which has been expected by Darjeeling as she has done in der Film), and Yellow Team control the access point to distribution and repair center, Darjeeling has no other choice than to retreat, or risk bleed to death. Despite the small victory, Katyusha suspecting that there's no way Darjeeling would let the battle goes "that normal". Meanwhile, upon learning Blue Team come to save them, Maho reluctantly rised and sighed that their short break is over, wearing her mask and ready for another battle. Trivia *Kuromorimine, Pravda & St. Gloriana are the only schools to be represented by two separated teams: Chindits (led by Orange Pekoe) & Guy Fawkes Team (led by Darjeeling) for St. Gloriana, Nibelungen Team (led by Maho) & Schwarzwald Kampfgruppe (led by Erika) and Katyusha's Volunteer Army (led by Nina) & Polite Girls (led by Katyusha, Nonna & Klara) for Pravda. *The name of "The Cauldron" is the reference of the name of the place during Battle of Gazala, where Rommel's Afrika Korps with Italian divisions stationed their defense against the counterattack of British XIII Corps. *All teams that don't use their true name use one that reference the country they represents: **'Centipede Team': The Centipede is one of the symbols that Takeda Clan, from which Shizuka's family descent, used as a crest. **'Chindits': Chindits were a British India special force, created by Orde Charles Wingate in 1942, that served behind Japanese lines during the Burma Campaign from 1942-1945. **'Fifth Republic Platoon': The Fifth Republic is the current French system from which former General Charles De Gaulle, which is Asparagus's name inspiration as one of De Gaulle's nickname was "The Great Asparagus" due to his extreme height (196cm), was the founder and first president. **'Flying Tankers': This an hommage to the 1st American Volunteer Group that fight under Chinese Air Force from December 1941 to July 1942 who were nicknamed "Flying Tigers" recognizable from the Shark face nose-art on their planes. **'Guy Fawkes Team': Guy Fawkes was an English Catholic who was involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot on November 5th 1605 which consisted of blowing up Westminster Palace. On 21th century a contemporary version of Guy Fawkes mask became a symbol of anarchism and anonymity since the film adaptation in 2006 of the 1982 graphic novel V for Vendetta. That's why Darjeeling wore one to stay anonymous. **'Katyusha's Voluunter Army': It's maybe a reference to one of the anti-Bolshevik factions during the Russian Civil War. One supported by the Entente the Volunteer Army and the other (unofficialy) supported by Germans the West Russian Volunteer Army. **'Nibelungen Team': The name is a reference to Richard Wagner's opera "Der Ring des Nibelungen". While Maho's disguise is a reference to Zorori from the manga Kaiketsu Zorori. **'Polite Girls': Their name and the fact that Katyusha, Nonna & Clara are masked are a reference to the Little Green Men during the 2014 Ukrainian Crisis also known as Polite People during the annexation of Crimea because of their politeness toward the civilians on occupied area. **'Schwarzwald Kampfgruppe': The name is both a reference to various German combat group known as Kampfgruppen during WW2 and a reference to the Black Forest (Schwarzwald in German) that sits in South West of Germany. *Maho's Panzer II has a bucket hanged on its main cannon. This is a reference to her memory when she and Miho goes fishing riding it during their childhood moments. *Despite Koume's remarks on their Blue Team is in disadvantages in number due having two one-tank teams, Blue Team is not the team with the least members in Cauldron. Red Team and Pink Team has the least number of tanks with 8 tanks. All other teams (including Blue) has at least 10 tanks in their posession (Blue Team itself has 10 tanks). And like Blue Team, Red Team also has two one-tank teams (Centipede Team and Flying Tankers). The only major disadvantages Blue Team has is their position in the central map, which made them an obvious target by any other team. Gallery Tankathlonshop.png|Shizuka and Rin at a tankathlon shop. type97desguisedr35.png|Type 97 disguised as a Renault R35. SHIZUKA AND RIN.png|Shizuka and Rin on the Type 97 and their flag symbols. Jajka7TP.png|Bonple Tankathlon Team KVA.png|Pravda's Katyusha Volunteer's Army Ready for Battle.png|Tategoto Tankathlon Team Fukudaribbonwarriorchap25.jpg|Chi-Ha-Tan in Tankathlon. Fukuda with Duck Team Ribbon Warrior chap 25.jpg|Duck Team in Tankathlon. Not dareeling.jpg|St.Gloriana's Chindits Team Maple at Tankathlon.jpg|Trout from Maple High School Turkishschool.png|Bosphorus from Kebab High School DarjMaho.jpg|Maho & Darjeeling taking part to Tankhatlon 33.jpg|Kuromorimine Kampfgruppe Category:Schools Category:Sensha-dō Teams